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Abstract:

A system and method for providing secure medical conferencing are
provided. In one example, the system includes a database and a medical
services authentication server (MSAS) coupled to the database and a
packet network. The database includes medical information and the MSAS
includes instructions for facilitating the medical conferencing,
including enabling medical service consumers to identify and connect
directly to medical service providers via the packet network using
information from the database.

Claims:

1. A system for providing medical conferencing for a plurality of parties
by a medical conferencing services provider, the plurality of parties
including a medical service provider (MSP) and a consumer of medical
services, the system comprising: a database including an electronic
storage medium having a plurality of records stored thereon, wherein the
plurality of records includes a first profile, a first identifier, and a
first password corresponding to the MSP, a second profile, a second
identifier, and a second password corresponding to the consumer, and an
MSP list containing a plurality of MSP identifiers corresponding to a
plurality of MSPs on the MSP list, wherein one of the plurality of MSP
identifiers is the second identifier, and wherein the MSP list includes
at least one MSP identifier not added to the MSP list by the consumer;
and a medical services authentication server (MSAS) coupled to the
database and a packet network, the MSAS including a processor coupled to
an electronic storage medium having a plurality of instructions stored
thereon for execution by the MSAS, wherein the plurality of instructions
includes instructions for: receiving, by the MSAS, the first password
from a first device via the packet network and authenticating, by the
MSAS, the first device as authorized to access the medical conferencing
services provider based on the first password; receiving, by the MSAS,
the second password from a second device via the packet network and
authenticating the second device as authorized to access the medical
conferencing services provider based on the second password; sending, by
the MSAS, the MSP list and corresponding status information to the second
device via the packet network after authenticating the second device,
wherein the corresponding status information includes a status of the
first device corresponding to the first identifier as available for
contact by the second device; sending, by the MSAS, routing information
to the second device via the packet network after authenticating the
second device, wherein the routing information includes network address
information needed by the second device to establish a secure,
point-to-point communication session directly with the first device;
receiving, by the MSAS, a request from the first device for medical
records corresponding to the second identifier, wherein the medical
records are stored in the database; determining, by the MSAS, whether the
first device is authorized to receive the medical records, wherein the
determining includes sending, by the MSAS, a message to the second device
indicating that the first device is attempting to access the medical
records; receiving, by the MSAS, a response from the second device with a
medical records access code corresponding to the consumer contained
therein; and determining, by the MSAS, whether the first device is
authorized to receive the medical records by verifying that the medical
records access code is valid; retrieving, by the MSAS, the medical
records from the database only if the first device is authorized to
receive the medical records; and sending, by the MSAS, the medical
records to the first device.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the response from the second device with
the medical records access code indicates that only a portion of the
medical records are authorized to be sent to the first device.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the MSAS further includes instructions
for: determining whether the first device is authorized to receive only a
portion of the medical records; determining whether the request from the
first device for medical records includes the authorized portion; and
sending only the authorized portion of the medical records to the first
device.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the MSAS further includes instructions
for: receiving a request to modify the medical records from the first
device; determining whether the first device is authorized to modify the
medical records; modifying the medical records as requested; and storing
the modified records in the database.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the MSAS further includes instructions
for: sending the first profile to the first device after authenticating
the first device; and sending the second profile to the second device
after authenticating the second device.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the MSAS further includes instructions
for: receiving information from the first and second devices to modify
the first and second profiles, respectively; and updating the first and
second profiles in the database based on the received information.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the first profile includes at least one
medical specialty associated with the MSP, and wherein the MSP list is
searchable based on the at least one medical specialty.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the MSAS further includes instructions
for filtering the MSP list prior to sending the MSP list to the second
device, wherein the MSP list is filtered based on at least one parameter
obtained from the second profile.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the MSAS further includes instructions
for: receiving a status change message from the first device indicating
that the first device is logging off of the MSAS; and updating the MSP
list to indicate that the first device is not available.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the second device includes instructions
for: displaying the MSP list and corresponding status information to the
consumer; receiving input from the consumer, wherein the input indicates
that the consumer has selected the second identifier from the MPS list;
sending a message using the routing information to the first device based
on the received input, wherein the message requests the establishment of
a secure communication session between the first and second devices, and
wherein the message includes routing information needed for the first
device to respond to the second device.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the second device includes instructions
for displaying the MSP list based on at least one filtering parameter
provided to the second device by the consumer.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the first device includes instructions
for sending a status change message directly to the second device
indicating that the first device is logging off of the MSAS.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the first device includes instructions
for an auto-attendant configured to receive a request from the second
device for the establishment of a secure communication session between
the first and second devices, and to initiate a series of predefined
responses upon receiving the request.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the database is part of the MSAS.

15. A device configured to participate in medical conferencing
comprising: a display; a network interface; a processor coupled to the
display and network interface; a memory unit coupled to the processor and
configured to store a plurality of instructions thereon for execution by
the processor, the instructions including instructions for: sending an
identifier and a password via a packet network to a medical services
authentication server (MSAS), wherein the identifier and password
identify that a user of the device is authorized to access services
provided by a medical conferencing services provider; receiving a medical
service provider (MSP) list and routing information corresponding to each
MSP on the MSP list from the MSAS, wherein the MSP list contains only
MSPs that the user is permitted to directly contact and wherein the MSP
list includes MSPs that were not added to the MSP list by the user;
receiving input from the user to establish a secure, point-to-point
connection with a selected MSP from the MSP list; identifying routing
information corresponding to the selected MSP from the received routing
information; sending a request via the network interface to another
device corresponding to the identified routing information to establish a
secure, point-to-point connection; and displaying a result of the request
to the other device on the display.

16. The device of claim 15 further comprising instructions for: receiving
a message from the MSAS that an access request for medical records
corresponding to the user has been received by the MSAS; displaying the
message to the user; receiving input from the user in response to the
message, wherein the input includes an access code; and sending the
access code to the MSAS.

17. The device of claim 15 further comprising instructions for filtering
the MSP list based on at least one input parameter received from the
user.

Description:

CROSS REFERENCE

[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 12/118,142, filed May 9, 2008, entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SECURE
MULTI-PARTY MEDICAL CONFERENCING, the specification of which is
incorporated by reference in the present application.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to medical communications,
and in particular, to a method for providing secure multi-party medical
conferencing

BACKGROUND

[0003] The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ("HIPAA")
was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1996. Title II of HIPAA, otherwise
known as the Administrative Simplification ("AS") provisions, requires,
inter alia, the establishment of national standards for electronic health
care transactions. The AS provisions are designed to encourage the
widespread use of electronic data interchange in the US healthcare system
while addressing the security and privacy of health data.

[0004] Per the requirements of Title II, the Department of Health and
Human Services has promulgated five rules regarding Administrative
Simplification. Included in the five rules regarding Administrative
Simplification are "The Privacy Rule" and "The Security Rule." Though the
rules complement each other, the Privacy Rule pertains to all Protected
Health Information ("PHI") while the Security Rule deals specifically
with Electronic Protected Health Information ("EPHI").

[0005] The Privacy Rule, which took effect on Apr. 14, 2003, establishes
regulations for the use and disclosure of PHI. PHI is any information
about health status, provision of health care, or payment for health care
that can be linked to an individual. As such, PHI is interpreted broadly
to include any part of a patient's medical record. Any entity subject to
the guidelines of HIPAA must disclose PHI to facilitate treatment,
payment, or health care operations if the entity has obtained
authorization from the individual. However, whenever PHI is disclosed,
the entity disclosing the PHI must make reasonable efforts to disclose
only that information which is required to achieve the sought purpose.

[0006] The Security Rule, which took effect on Apr. 21, 2003, lays out
three types of security safeguards required for compliance:
administrative, physical, and technical. Administrative safeguards are
policies and procedures designed to clearly show how the entity will
comply with the act. Such policies and procedures should include, inter
alia, a clear identification of employees or class of employees who will
have access to EPHI; ensure third party vendors (when applicable) have a
framework in place to comply with HIPAA; and an emergency backup plan for
data with disaster recovery procedures.

[0007] Many entities comply with HIPAA by not transmitting electronic
files containing any EPHI or by transmitting physical files with PHI.
Additionally, these entities require the individual to sign forms to
release the PHI to third parties. These procedures can be cumbersome in
emergency conditions.

[0008] Additionally, securing a medical conference with a Medical Service
Provider ("MSP") (e.g., a doctor) in a situation that is not an emergency
can be quite cumbersome as well. For example, providing medical care to a
child at school may involve multiple parties (including an MSP) even if
the problem is not serious.

[0009] Accordingly, what is needed are systems and methods that can be
deployed to allow a multi-party medical conference in which two or more
parties in separate locations can discuss medical treatments for a
patient in a secure environment.

SUMMARY

[0010] In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a system for
providing medical conferencing for a plurality of parties by a medical
conferencing services provider, the plurality of parties including a
medical service provider (MSP) and a consumer of medical services. The
system comprises a database that includes an electronic storage medium
having a plurality of records stored thereon. The plurality of records
includes a first profile, a first identifier, and a first password
corresponding to the MSP, a second profile, a second identifier, and a
second password corresponding to the consumer, and an MSP list containing
a plurality of MSP identifiers corresponding to a plurality of MSPs on
the MSP list, wherein one of the plurality of MSP identifiers is the
second identifier and wherein the MSP list includes at least one MSP
identifier not added to the MSP list by the consumer. The system also
includes a medical services authentication server (MSAS) coupled to the
database and a packet network. The MSAS includes an electronic storage
medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon for execution by
the MSAS. The plurality of instructions includes instructions for
receiving the first password from a first device via the packet network
and authenticating the first device as authorized to access the medical
conferencing services provider based on the first password; receiving the
second password from a second device via the packet network and
authenticating the second device as authorized to access the medical
conferencing services provider based on the second password; sending the
MSP list and corresponding status information to the second device via
the packet network after authenticating the second device, wherein the
corresponding status information includes a status of the first device
corresponding to the first identifier as available for contact by the
second device; and sending routing information to the second device via
the packet network after authenticating the second device, wherein the
routing information includes network address information needed by the
second device to establish a secure, point-to-point communication session
directly with the first device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] For a more complete understanding, reference is now made to the
following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings
in which:

[0014]FIG. 4a is a sequence diagram illustrating one embodiment of a
method for establishing a secure multi-party medical conferencing
session;

[0015] FIG. 4b is a flow chart illustrating one embodiment of a method for
establishing a secure multi-party medical conferencing session;

[0016] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a system
that may support secure multi-party medical conferencing;

[0017] FIG. 6a is a block diagram illustrating a more detailed embodiment
of a portion of the system of FIG. 5;

[0018] FIG. 6b is a block diagram of one embodiment of a device that may
be used within the system of FIG. 5;

[0019]FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram illustrating one embodiment of a
method in which medical records may be transferred during a secure
multi-party medical conferencing session;

[0020] FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating one embodiment of a method for
using an auto-attendant in a secure multi-party medical conferencing
system;

[0021]FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating one embodiment of a method for
establishing a secure multi-party medical conferencing session; and

[0022]FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating one embodiment of a method for
establishing a secure multi-party medical conferencing session involving
a specialist.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] It is understood that the following disclosure provides many
different embodiments or examples. Specific examples of components and
arrangements are described below to simplify the present disclosure.
These are, of course, merely examples and are not intended to be
limiting. In addition, the present disclosure may repeat reference
numerals and/or letters in the various examples. This repetition is for
the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a
relationship between the various embodiments and/or configurations
discussed. Furthermore, the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale,
and in some instances the drawings have been exaggerated and/or
simplified in places for illustrative purposes only.

[0024] Referring to FIG. 1, one embodiment of a medical communication
scenario 100 is illustrated that involves three parties. In the present
example, a child (not shown) starts to feel ill while at school.
Alternatively, the child could have been injured while at school. The
child is taken to a school nurse, who is a medically qualified caregiver
102. The school nurse 102 determines that the child should be seen by an
MSP (e.g., a physician) 106. The school nurse 102 contacts the child's
parent or legal guardian (hereinafter "parent") 104 via a communication
channel 108. For example, the communication channel 108 is typically a
telephone communication network. The school nurse 102 informs the parent
104 of the nature of the child's illness or injury. Then, if needed, the
school nurse 102 informs the parent 104 that the child should be seen by
an MSP.

[0025] Thereafter, the parent 104 initiates contact via a communication
channel 110 (e.g., a telephone communication network) with their MSP 106.
In the present example, the MSP is a primary care physician ("PCP"). The
parent 104 schedules a time when the MSP 106 is available to see the
child and the parent is available to take the child to the MSP's location
(or when the parent can make arrangements for someone else to take the
child). Frequently, the parent 104 must then leave work or whatever
activity in which the parent 104 was engaged, go to the school, and take
the child home or to the MSP's location. As often happens, if the MSP 106
is not able to see the child on the same day on which the parent 104
called, the parent 104 must take additional time away from work or other
planned activities to take the child to the MSP at the date and time
scheduled.

[0026] This can be a particularly time consuming process if the child
suffers from chronic illness and may be particularly frustrating if the
MSP 106 merely requires some basic medical information (e.g., temperature
and blood pressure) in order to make an accurate diagnosis. Additionally,
the child's illness or injury may be such that the MSP 106 merely needed
to prescribe some medication that the parent 104 could have picked up on
the way to get the child from the school. However, such solutions are not
generally available because the school nurse 102 is usually not
authorized to administer medical care without the approval of the parent
104 and is also generally not permitted to diagnose injuries and
illnesses.

[0027] Referring now to FIG. 2, an embodiment of another medical
communication scenario 200 involving three parties is illustrated. In the
present example, when the ill or injured child reports to the qualified
caregiver 102 (e.g., the school nurse), the school nurse initiates
contact with an MSP 106 via communication channel 202. The MSP 106 may be
the child's PCP or may be another physician (e.g., a physician on
contract with the school). The communication channel 202 may be
established via a dedicated line (e.g., a T1 connection, ISDN connection,
or telephone communication network) between the MSP 106 and the school
nurse 102.

[0028] In this example, the school nurse 102 is permitted to communicate
with the MSP 106 regarding the injuries or symptoms of the child. The MSP
106 can then instruct the school nurse 102 regarding the performing of
tests or the obtaining of medical readings required to make an accurate
diagnosis. Accordingly, the MSP 106 is able to make a diagnosis and
determination as to whether the child can be treated at the school or
whether the child should be taken to a medical facility, such as a
doctor's office or emergency room. However, the nurse 102 and/or the MSP
106 may still be required to communicate with the parent 104 to inform
the parent of the illness or injury of the child and to obtain
authorization from the parent to treat the child. Such communications may
be accomplished via a communication channel 204 (e.g., a telephone
communication network).

[0029] Referring to FIG. 3, one embodiment of a secure multi-party medical
conferencing system 300 is illustrated. In various embodiments, the
multi-party medical conferencing system 300 enables multiple parties,
such as a qualified caregiver 302, a medical services consumer 304, and
one or more MSPs 306 to be connected via a packet network 308, such as a
Global

[0030] Communication Network ("GCN") like the Internet. In such
embodiments, the multi-party medical conferencing system 300 may
establish secure voice, video, and data communications via a hybrid
peer-to-peer system. One example of such a hybrid peer-to-peer system is
developed by Damaka, Inc. (located in Richardson, Tex.), and is disclosed
in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/081,068, which is hereby
incorporated by reference in its entirety. It is understood that the
hybrid peer-to-peer system developed by Damaka is used herein for
purposes of example only, and that other systems may be used to implement
some or all of the present disclosure.

[0031] In the present example, the consumer 304 may subscribe to a
multi-party medical conferencing service offered by a medical
conferencing services provider. The consumer 304 may join such a service
by entering registration information and paying an initial fee. The
initial fee may be for registration and other fees, such as a periodic
fee for continued monthly subscription, may also be required. A service
term contract may be required or services may be rendered on an "as
needed" basis. It is understood that these are merely examples and that
many different types of access may be provided to the multi-party medical
conferencing service.

[0032] When the consumer 304 registers with the multi-party medical
conferencing service, the consumer may provide information necessary to
complete a member profile. The member profile may contain demographic
information such as, but not limited to, the consumer's age, address,
contact information, marital status, and payment information (e.g.,
financial institution information to be utilized for payments such as
automatic withdrawal). The consumer 304 may also provide certain health
related information including, but not limited to, the names of the
consumer's primary care physician and insurance provider. The consumer
304 may also provide information for any dependents of the consumer, such
as a spouse, children, or legal wards. The information relating to the
dependents of the consumer 304 may be saved in the consumer's profile or
additional profiles may be created for each respective dependent of the
consumer. The consumer 304 may register with the multi-party medical
conferencing service by calling a specified telephone number, submitting
a completed paper form by mail, facsimile, or email, or by accessing a
registration server and completing an online registration process.

[0033] Upon registration, the consumer 304 may be provided with
authentication credentials, such as a user identifier (ID) and password.
In some embodiments, the consumer 304 may supply a proposed user ID
and/or password. In such embodiments, the multi-party medical
conferencing service may then confirm that the user ID and/or password
are unique and, if not unique, may prompt the consumer 304 to provide
another user ID/password until a unique user ID/password is assigned to
the consumer. Additionally, the consumer 304 may be provided with an
access code, which may be unique. This access code can be different than
the user ID and password, or the access code and the user ID can be
related. In some embodiments, the consumer 304 provides a proposed access
code. In such embodiments, the multi-party medical conferencing service
may confirm that the access code is unique and, if not unique, may prompt
the consumer 304 to provide another access code until a unique access
code is assigned to the consumer.

[0034] The user ID, password, and access code are stored in a database
(discussed below with respect to FIGS. 5 and 6) with the member profile
that is created using the information provided by the consumer 304 during
registration. The member profile is saved in the database with a
relationship corresponding to the user ID, password, and/or access code.
If profiles were created for the consumer's dependents, the dependents'
profiles are also saved in the database with a relationship corresponding
to the consumer's profile. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the consumer
304 is provided with additional access codes that uniquely correspond to
the dependent profiles.

[0035] After the consumer 304 has successfully registered, the consumer is
provided with client software to be installed on a device (not shown)
that is capable of accessing the multi-party medical conferencing service
offered by the medical conferencing services provider via the packet
network 308. The device (i.e., an "endpoint" in terms of previously
incorporated U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/081,068) can be a
personal computer, personal data assistant ("PDA"), cellular phone, or
any other device that is capable of accessing the packet network 308. The
client software is designed to enable the device of the consumer 304 to
connect to the multi-party medical conferencing service as a patient
terminal such that the consumer, when seeking medical services, is able
to view information (e.g., a list of MSPs) provided by the medical
conferencing services provider.

[0036] Additionally, some embodiments provide for the MSP 306 to subscribe
to the medical conferencing services provider. For example, the MSP 306
can be a physician, surgeon, or other doctor authorized to practice
medicine. The MSP 306 may be required to pay a fee upon registering for
the service. Alternatively, the MSP 306 may receive compensation for
agreeing to register with the service depending upon the laws within a
particular state or country.

[0037] When the MSP 306 seeks to register with the service, the MSP
provides information necessary to complete an MSP profile. The
information provided by the MSP 306 may include, but is not limited to,
demographic information such as address and types of medical services
offered (i.e., types of medicine practiced such as general family
medicine, pediatrician, and surgery). The types of medical services
offered (i.e., the medical specialty or specialties of the MSP 306) may
be stored in the MSP profile with a unique specialty code corresponding
to each specialty offered. In some embodiments, the information provided
by the MSP 306 includes insurance plans accepted, promotional offers
currently available from the MSP, and/or insurance plans offered by the
MSP. In some embodiments, when the MSP 306 seeks to register with the
medical conferencing services provider, the MSP is first required to be
certified by a third party screening service. The third party screening
service may provide services that include, but are not limited to,
verifying the credentials of the MSP 306, maintaining a copy of licenses
corresponding to the MSP, confirming legal requirements for medical
practice of the state/country where the MSP is located, obtaining any
records of disciplinary action against the MSP, and any positive or
negative patient feedback regarding the MSP.

[0038] Upon registration, the MSP 306 (who may be referred to herein as a
"member MSP") may be provided with an MSP ID and password. In some
embodiments, the MSP 306 supplies a proposed MSP ID and password. In such
embodiments, the multi-party medical conferencing service may confirm
that the MSP ID is unique and, if not unique, may prompt the MSP to
provide another MSP ID until a unique MSP ID is assigned to the MSP. The
MSP ID is uniquely associated with the MSP profile.

[0039] After the MSP 306 has successfully registered, the MSP 306 is
provided MSP client software to be installed on a device that is capable
of accessing the Internet 308 (e.g., a device such as the device
described above with respect to the consumer). The MSP client software
enables the device of the MSP 306 to connect to the medical conferencing
services provider as an MSP terminal. Accordingly, when the MSP 306 seeks
to sign-on to the medical conferencing services provider, the MSP
provides the MSP ID and password. Thereafter, the MSP profile is accessed
and the MSP 306 is signed-on to the medical conferencing services
provider as an MSP.

[0040] In some embodiments, the MSP 306 may register with a third party
MSP agency. In such embodiments, the third party MSP agency may provide a
list of MSPs to the medical conferencing services provider for medical
consultations. For example, the third party MSP agency may establish
contracts or agreements with multiple MSPs 306 to provide medical
consultation via the medical conferencing services provider. During the
registration process, the MSP 306 provides the third party MSP agency
with information necessary to complete the MSP's profile. The third party
MSP agency pre-screens the MSP 306 by reviewing MSP qualification
information such as, but not limited to, credentials, experience, work
history, malpractice insurance, malpractice claims, references, and
patient comments. The third party MSP agency verifies the credentials
and, when verified, provides the MSP's name and profile information to
the medical conferencing services provider. Accordingly, the third party
MSP agency is able to provide assurance to the medical conferencing
services provider that the registered MSP 306 (and other MSPs) possess
the proper credentials.

[0041] In some embodiments, the third party MSP agency provides to the
medical conferencing services provider a database list, with credentials,
of the registered MSPs 306 that are available for consultation. In
additional embodiments, the MSPs 306 are provided to the medical
conferencing services provider with a schedule of availability indicating
particular dates and times that respective MSPs 306 are available for
consultation.

[0042] In some embodiments, the medical conferencing services provider
provides the MSP 306 with the MSP client software for use on the MSP
device. In other embodiments, the medical conferencing services provider
provides the third party MSP agency with the MSP client software and the
third party MSP agency provides the software to the MSP 306. The third
party MSP agency may provide the MSP 306 with the MSP's ID and password,
or the MSP ID and password can be provided by the medical conferencing
services provider or the MSP as previously described.

[0043] Further embodiments of the secure multi-party medical conferencing
provide for medically qualified caregivers (QCGs) 302 to subscribe to the
medical conferencing services provider. The QCG 302 may represent many
different entities that are trained and certified to provide limited
medical care such as, for example, a nurse, a nurse practitioner ("NP"),
a registered nurse ("RN"), and medical assistant ("MA"). The QCG 302 may
also represent the above entities in various settings such as retail,
business, school, company, nursing home, hospital, medical kiosk or
medical station, medical treatment center, or home health care agency.
The QCG 302 may be required to pay a fee upon registering for the
service. When the QCG 302 seeks to register with the service, the QCG 302
provides information necessary to complete a QCG profile. The information
provided by the QCG 302 includes, but is not limited to, demographic
information such as name, address, and type of qualified caregiver (e.g.,
a school with a nurse).

[0044] When the QCG 302 seeks to register with the medical conferencing
services provider, the QCG may be required to obtain certification from a
third party screening service. The third party screening service can
provide services that include, but are not limited to, verifying the QCG
302 credentials, maintaining a copy of licenses for the QCG, and
confirming the QCG's legal eligibility to operate as a QCG as part of the
medical conferencing services provider in the state/country where the QCG
is located.

[0045] Upon registration, the QCG 302 may be provided a QCG ID and
password. In some embodiments, the QCG 302 may supply a proposed QCG ID
and password. In such embodiments, the medical conferencing services
provider may confirm that the QCG ID is unique and, if not unique, may
prompt the QCG 302 to provide another QCG ID until a unique QCG ID is
assigned to the QCG. The QCG ID may be uniquely associated to the QCG
profile.

[0046] After the QCG 302 has successfully registered, the QCG is provided
with QCG client software to be installed on device that is capable of
accessing the Internet 308 (e.g., a device such as the device described
above with respect to the consumer 304). The QCG client software is
configured to cause the device of the QCG 302 to connect to the medical
conferencing services provider as a QCG terminal. When the QCG 302 seeks
to sign-on to the medical conferencing services provider using the
device, the QCG provides the QCG ID and password. Thereafter, the QCG
profile is accessed and the QCG 302 is signed-on to the medical
conferencing services provider as a QCG. Although separate client
software is described for each of the consumer 304, MSP 306, and QCG 302,
it is understand that identical software may be provided to each one and
the medical conferencing services provider may distinguish between the
consumer, MSP, and QCG based on login information.

[0047] In some embodiments, the QCG 302 may represent a franchise of
medical offices, medical stations, or medical kiosks. The franchise of
medical offices, medical stations, or medical kiosks (hereinafter "the
QCG franchise") may be owned by one or more MSPs 306 or a third party
agency. For example, the QCG franchise may be operated by attendants and
at least one individual who is a QCG as defined previously. At least one
QCG may be present at all times during the hours of operation of the QCG
franchise.

[0048] The QCG franchise may be designed to serve consumers who are
subscribers of the medical conferencing services provider as well as
individuals who are not subscribers of the medical conferencing services
provider. Individuals who are subscribers of the medical conferencing
services provider may enter one of the medical offices, medical stations,
or medical kiosks and provide their user ID to obtain access to the
medical conferencing services provider. Individuals who are not
subscribers of the medical conferencing services provider may enter one
of the medical offices, medical stations, or medical kiosks and, upon
payment of a fee, be given access to the medical conferencing services
provider.

[0049] Further, the QCG franchise may include patient terminals (e.g.,
devices as described previously that consumers and other individuals may
use to access the medical conferencing services provider to conduct a
secure medical conference). The devices may be contained in private rooms
such that, if needed, a QCG 302 (e.g., a nurse or medical technician) can
be present in the room with the consumer 304 and provide physical
services (e.g., taking temperature or blood pressure readings) requested
by the MSP 306. The QCG franchise may further include QCG terminals where
one or more QCGs 302 who staff the QCG franchise location can provide
qualified caregiver medical services to a "walk-in" patient as part of a
secure multi-party medical conferencing session with an MSP 306.

[0050] With continued reference to FIG. 3, one embodiment of a
communication scenario that may occur using the secure multi-party
medical conferencing system 300 is now described. A child (not shown)
reports to the QCG 302 (e.g., a school nurse) regarding an illness or
injury. The QCG 302 contacts the consumer 304 (e.g., the child's parent)
and informs the consumer that the child is sick or injured. For example,
the QCG 302 may place a telephone call to the consumer 304 or, in some
embodiments, may log in to the medical conferencing services provider and
notify the consumer 304 of the child's injury/illness via the medical
conferencing services provider.

[0051] The consumer 304 accesses the medical conferencing services
provider to establish a session for secure multi-party medical
conferencing via the packet network 308. Upon receiving the consumer's
log in credentials, the medical conferencing services provider provides
the consumer 304 with a list of available MSPs. In the present
embodiment, the medical conferencing services provider may generate the
list of available MSPs from the member MSPs who are currently signed-on
to the medical conferencing services provider. For example, whenever an
MSP 306 signs-on to the medical conferencing services provider, the
medical conferencing services provider may update the list of available
MSPs to show that the MSP is available for medical consultation.
Additionally, the medical conferencing services provider may access the
specialty code in the MSP profile corresponding to the MSP ID of the MSP
306 and may include the specialty in the list. The list generated by the
medical conferencing services provider is saved in the database and can
be provided to the consumer 304 in a number of different formats, as will
be discussed herein below with respect to FIGS. 4a, 4b, 5 and 6.

[0052] It is understood that the list of MSPs viewed by the consumer 304
may not include all possible MSPs, but instead may represent a filtered
view of available MSPs. For example, the medical conferencing services
provider may present to the consumer 304 only those MSPs in the
consumer's geographic area or may use other criteria to filter the list.
Additionally or alternatively, the consumer 304 may select filtering
criteria to select only a portion of all available MSPs for viewing.

[0053] When the consumer 304 views the list provided by the medical
conferencing services provider, the consumer can review the list of MSPs
to determine which MSPs that are available for consultation can provide
the medical services required. For example, the consumer 304 may choose
to look for a family practitioner and so may filter or otherwise review
the list for MSPs corresponding to a family practitioner specialty type.
When the consumer 304 decides upon a particular MSP 306, the consumer
selects the MSP. (A more specific example describing details of accessing
the medical conferencing services provider and selecting one or more MSPs
will be discussed below with respect to FIG. 4a). Thereafter, a secure
communication channel 310 is established between the consumer 304 and the
MSP 306 via the packet network 308 using their respective devices
containing the software provided by the medical conferencing services
provider. It is understood that the communication channel 310 may include
voice, video, data, and other types of information. In some embodiments,
communications across the secure communication channel 310 may be
encrypted. In other embodiments, the MSP 306 may be required to accept a
connection request from the consumer 304 prior to the establishment of
the secure communication channel 310.

[0054] In the present example, the school is registered with the medical
conferencing services provider as a QCG 302. Accordingly, the consumer
304 is able to establish a communication channel 312 with the QCG 302
(e.g., the school nurse) (the details of connecting to the school will be
discussed in detail with respect to FIG. 4a). Alternatively, as
previously described, the QCG 302 may initiate contact with the consumer
304 via the medical conferencing services provider. It is understood that
the QCG 302 may remain signed-on to the medical conferencing services
provider throughout the day or may access the medical conferencing
services provider at specific times or when a medical consultation is
needed. After the consumer 304 establishes contact with the QCG 302
(assuming that contact was not already established), the QCG may be
included in communications occurring over the communication channel 310.
As will be described below, this may involve the establishment of a third
communication channel 314. It is understood that the described connection
sequence is exemplary and that the QCG 302, consumer 304, and MSP 306 may
be connected in any order or simultaneously.

[0055] After the secure connections 310, 312, and 314 are established, the
consumer 304 can authorize the QCG 302 and MSP 306 to provide medical
services to the child. Furthermore, the medical conferencing services
provider (either itself or through the client devices of the QCG 302,
consumer 304, and MSP 306) is able to maintain a record of the parent's
authorization for medical services by recording text, video, voice, etc.
Additionally, the MSP 306 can question the QCG 302 regarding the symptoms
the child is experiencing or the extent of the child's injuries. The
child may also participate in the session through, for example, voice or
video. The MSP 306 is able to direct the QCG 302 to run specific tests or
take specific measurements of the child. Additionally, in some
embodiments, the medical records of the child can be securely stored and
made accessible via the medical conferencing services provider. The MSP
306 can be provided access to the child's medical records via the medical
conferencing services provider for purposes of aiding in the diagnosis
and treatment of the child. Thereafter, the MSP 306 can make a medical
determination regarding the appropriate treatment of the child. The MSP
306 may recommend that the consumer 304 take the child to the child's
primary care physician (which may be the MSP 306), to a hospital, or to a
specialist. The MSP 306 may also prescribe medication or may advise the
consumer 304 of a recommended course of treatment that the consumer 304
may follow at home.

[0056] In some embodiments, the consumer 304 is able to connect to a
nearby pharmacy via the medical conferencing services provider, which may
be registered with the medical conferencing services provider as a
pharmacy terminal (not specifically illustrated). In such an embodiment,
a pharmacy, franchise of pharmacies, or store with a pharmacy located
therein (hereinafter all referred to as a "pharmacy") may register with
the medical conferencing services provider as a pharmacy terminal. The
medical conferencing services provider provides the pharmacy with
software to connect a device at the pharmacy (e.g., similar or identical
to the device described previously with respect to the consumer 304) to
the medical conferencing services provider as a pharmacy terminal.

[0057] The pharmacy terminal may be configured such that it can be
included in the secure communications of the consumer 304 and/or MSP 306.
The MSP 306 is then able to prescribe medications to the child and send
the prescription directly to the pharmacy via the medical conferencing
services provider. This process also allows the MSP 306 and pharmacy to
ensure that they understand one another regarding the prescription and
allows them to correct any problems. The consumer 304 may pay the
pharmacy via the medical conferencing services provider (e.g., using a
credit card or financial information stored by the medical conferencing
services provider), and may have the medications scheduled for pick-up or
delivered to the school, to the consumer's work location, or to the
consumer's home. Thereafter, the secure communication channels 310, 312,
and 314 may be terminated. Accordingly, the QCG 302 and/or consumer 304
may proceed with the recommended course of treatment, thereby ensuring
that the child receives prompt medical care and possibly reducing the
amount of time required by the consumer 304 to ensure that such care is
received.

[0058] Referring now to FIG. 4a, a sequence diagram illustrates one
embodiment of a method 400 that may be used to connect multiple parties
to a medical conferencing services provider. For purposes of
illustration, the QCG 302, consumer 304, and MSP 306 of FIG. 3 are used,
but it is understood that fewer or more entities, as well as different
entities, may be involved in the method 400. A medical services
authentication server (MSAS) 402 is used to provide communications
services by the medical conferencing services provider as described
below. The MSAS 402 may include one or more processers coupled to a
storage medium (not shown). The processor is responsive to medical
conferencing services provider server software stored on the storage
medium. The server software contains a plurality of instructions
executable by the processor that enable the MSAS 402 to aid in
establishing secure communications between devices, such as patient
terminals, MSP terminals, and QCG terminals. It is understood that the
MSAS 402 may represent multiple servers and may be distributed.

[0059] As indicated by step 402, in the present example, the QCG 302,
consumer 304, and MSP 306 have registered with the medical conferencing
services provider as described previously. Accordingly, when the method
400 begins, each of the QCG 302, consumer 304, and MSP 306 have a device
configured to execute software capable of connecting to the medical
conferencing services provider, and each has established a profile and is
authorized to provide and/or consume services offered via the medical
conferencing services provider.

[0060] In step 404, the MSP 306 authenticates with the medical
conferencing services provider by accessing the medical conferencing
services provider via the packet network 308. The authentication process
may include the MSP 306 providing the MSP ID and password to the MSAS
402.

[0061] The MSP 306 may log in to the MSAS 402 at an allotted time or may
log in due to an opening (e.g., if a scheduled patient cancels or fails
to show up for an appointment). For example, upon logging in to the MSAS
402, the MSP 306 may indicate that he or she will be available for thirty
minutes or for some other amount of time. Alternatively, the MSP 306 may
simply log in to the MSAS 402 without specifying a particular amount of
time, or may log in for a period of time corresponding to regular office
hours for the MSP. Accordingly, availability of the MSP 306 may be
variable and may be random or may include specified times during the day,
on specified dates, or a combination thereof.

[0062] Although not shown in FIG. 4a, it is understood that the MSAS 402
may prompt the MSP 306 to provide a "time available" in order to include
the duration that the MSP 306 will be available for consulting via the
medical conferencing services provider. The MSP 306 may be required to
respond with a "time available" period or may by-pass the prompt without
defining such a time period. In some embodiments, the MSP 306 can
optionally provide the "time available" to the MSAS 402 at sign-on.

[0063] In step 406, the MSAS 402 updates the list of available MSPs with
the information of the MSP 306. In step 408, the MSAS 402 may respond to
the MSP 306 with such information as profiles and one or more routing
tables. The profiles may correspond to patients that have requested a
consultation or are currently waiting online for a consultation,
available pharmacies, and other relevant information. In the present
example, the profiles belong only to entities (e.g., consumers, QCGs, and
MSPs) registered with the medical conferencing services provider.
Accordingly, each registered entity may have the potential of being a
"buddy" in terms of previously incorporated U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 11/081,068. As described in U.S. patent application Ser. No.
11/081,068, a buddy may be directly contacted by another buddy, but
non-buddies (even if registered with the medical conferencing services
provider) may not be directly contacted without taking additional steps
to add them as buddies. Accordingly, controlling who is listed as a buddy
may be used to control access to other entities for a particular QCG 302,
consumer 304, and MSP 306. However, not all registered entities may be a
buddy and the list of buddies may be filtered based on criteria such as
geographic location, participation in a particular insurance plan, etc.
Furthermore, the registered entities may be displayed in a hierarchical
format that provides a user with a "drill down" menu for purposes of
convenience.

[0064] The routing table may identify such information as Internet
Protocol (IP) address, external port number, and Network Address
Translation ("NAT") type needed to establish communication directly with
another registered entity. Although not described herein, it is
understood that STUN requests and similar techniques may be used to
obtain information needed for the profile and/or routing table, and that
some such information may be provided by the MSP terminal to the MSAS 402
during log in.

[0065] In steps 410 and 412, the QCG 302 authenticates with the MSAS 402
using the corresponding QCG ID and password. After verifying the QCG ID
and password, the MSAS 402 authenticates the QCG 302 as a valid member of
the medical conferencing services provider and sends profile and routing
table information to the QCG terminal. Settings in the QCG profile or in
the QCG client software itself may be used by the QCG client software to
determine how the available provider list is displayed to the QCG 302.
For example, the QCG 302 may be authorized to access only specified MSPs,
and this information may be used to tailor the profile that is sent to
the QCG 302 to ensure that the QCG profile contains only information
pertaining to the specified MSPs. Although not shown, in some
embodiments, the client software of the QCG 302 may be configured to
notify the MSP 306 that the QCG is online. Due to the point-to-point
nature of the system 300 in the present example, the QCG 302 sends the
notification message directly to the MSP 306 without sending it through
the MSAS 402.

[0066] In step 414 (e.g., after being contacted by the QCG 302 that the
consumer's child needs medical care), the consumer 304 authenticates with
the medical conferencing services provider via the packet network 308.
The consumer 304 may send a sign-on/authentication request to the MSAS
402 that includes the consumer's ID and password. In response and after
verifying the consumer's authentication information, the MSAS 402
authenticates the consumer 304 as a valid member of the medical
conferencing services provider and sends profile and routing table
information to the consumer in step 416.

[0067] The profile information contains information relating to entities
registered with the medical conferencing services provider. It is
understood that a list of "buddies" sent to the consumer 304 may be
filtered based on criteria such as geographic location, participation in
a particular insurance plan, etc. In addition, the consumer 304 may have
added entities of particular relevance (e.g., the QCG 302 who is the
school nurse at the child's school). As described above, the registered
entities may be displayed in a hierarchical format that provides a user
with a "drill down" menu for purposes of convenience. The routing table
may identify such information as IP address, external port number, and
NAT type needed to contact the buddies of the consumer 304.

[0068] In some embodiments, the MSAS 402 may send the available provider
list (i.e., an MSP list) stored in the database to the consumer 304 as
part of the profile or separately. The consumer 304, using the client
software or other means, may configure how the available provider list is
displayed and may view the available provider list sorted by any number
of data fields including, but not limited to, name, field, location, or
specialty (based upon specialty code). The available provider list may
include a listing of all the MSPs 306 that are currently signed-on to the
medical conferencing services provider and are currently available for
consultation. The list may include a time available indicator for
providing a time period during which each MSP 306 will be available. The
list of available MSPs may be updated periodically by the MSAS 402 or may
be updated locally on the consumer's device as buddy MSPs log onto and
off of the MSAS 402 and as MSPs 306 become otherwise unavailable (e.g.,
enter into secure medical conferences with consumers). Accordingly, the
direct connection aspect of the system 300 enables the available provider
list to accurately reflect the current availability of MSPs without
needing to route messages and status updates through the MSAS server 402.
In other embodiments, the consumer 304 may consult a web page or other
source to locate an available MSP. Such a web page or other source may be
made available by the MSAS 402 or another server.

[0069] In the present example, the QCG 302 and consumer 304 are buddies
and the consumer's device directly notifies the QCG's device that the
consumer is online and available for contact. As such, a communication
session may be established between the consumer 304 and QCG 302 to
discuss the child's condition in step 420. The session may be initiated
by either the consumer 304 or the QCG 302.

[0070] In step 422, the consumer 304 may send a message directly to the
MSP 306 requesting a medical consultation. If the MSP 306 grants the
request, a communication session may be established directly between the
devices of the consumer 304 and MSP 306. In the present example, the QCG
302 directly notifies the MSP 306 of the QCG's online status and
establishes a communication session with the MSP. It is understood that
each device may send messages directly to the other two devices involved
in the medical consultation. In some embodiments, the devices may join
the two sessions so that, for example, the device of the consumer 304
sends a single message (e.g., a broadcast) to both the QCG 302 and MSP
306 rather than sending two separate messages. If the QGC 302 is not a
buddy of the MSP 306, a buddy request may be sent from the QCG to the MSP
as described in previously incorporated U.S. patent application Ser. No.
11/081,068. Once the buddy request is accepted by the MSP 306, the QCG
302 may establish the session. In the present example, all registered
entities of the medical conferencing services provider are buddies,
although restrictions may be imposed on the ability of one user to
contact another user as previously described.

[0071] In step 430, once the various communication channels are
established, the consumer 304, QCG 302, and MSP 306 may discuss the
child's condition, take and review measurements, and perform other
actions that would typically require the physical presence of multiple
attendees of the session. After the session has been completed, one or
more of the consumer 304, QCG 302, and MSP 306 may terminate their
involvement in the secure multi-party medical conference by ending the
session or logging off. For example, the MSP 306 may log off the MSAS 402
or change its status to available to become available for another
consultation. Such status changes may be sent directly to all buddies and
to the MSAS 402. Logs or other recordings of the session may be saved in
the database for later review, although such logs may need the permission
of one or more of the session attendees before being recorded and/or
saved.

[0072] Referring now to FIG. 4b, one embodiment of a method 450 for
establishing secure multi-party medical conferencing is illustrated. To
continue the previous example, the child of the consumer 304 attends a
school having a QCG 302 (e.g., a nurse). The method 450 is illustrated as
being divided by vertical dashed lines into three areas representing QCG
actions, consumer actions, and medical conferencing services provider/MSP
actions. It is understood that these three areas are illustrative only
and the actions contained in each area may be moved to another area in
other embodiments or the differentiation between areas may be removed
entirely. The QCG 302 is registered with the medical conferencing
services provider. The child suffers from a chronic illness. Artisans of
skill will appreciate that the illustration of a chronic illness is
exemplary and the child could be suffering from an typical illness or
injury. In step 452, the child informs the QCG 302 that the child is not
well.

[0073] In step 454, the QCG 302 determines whether or not parental
authorization for medical care is required. For example, since this is a
chronic illness, the QCG 302 may have previously been informed by the
consumer 304 regarding the illness and a course of treatment for the
child, or may be pre-authorized to take certain actions (e.g., may be
authorized to contact an MSP 306 for treatment without contacting the
consumer). Alternatively, the child may be above the age of minority in
the state/country and so may be eligible to authorize medical care on
their own behalf. For example, the school may be a college where, though
the child is still covered by the consumer's insurance and the consumer's
subscription with the medical conferencing services provider, the child
is legally permitted to seek and approve their own medical care. Although
not shown, if the child is covered under the consumer's subscription, the
QCG 302 may send a request authorization message including an
authorization code to the consumer 304 to verify that the coverage is
valid or may verify its validity with the medical conferencing services
provider itself.

[0074] If no authorization is required, the method 450 moves to step 456
and the QCG 302 accesses the medical conferencing services provider via
the MSAS 402 and views the list of available MSPs. In step 458, the QCG
302 may select one of the MSPs from the list and send a request for
consultation as described previously with respect to FIG. 4a. For
example, the QCG 302 may request a secure medical conference with an
available MSP 306 from the list by selecting a link corresponding to the
available MSP 306 from the list of available MSPs or by otherwise
selecting the desired MSP. In step 460, the MSP 306 accepts the request
for the secure medical conference by, for example, selecting an "accept"
link on the MSP terminal display. In some embodiments, the MSP 306 may
deny the request for secure medical conference by selecting a deny link.
In such embodiments, the QCG 302 may receive a message indicating that
the MSP 306 is unavailable for a consultation. Upon acceptance, the
method 450 moves to step 462, where the MSP 306 and QCG 302 enter a
secure multi-party medical conference session using direct communications
as described previously.

[0075] Returning to step 454, if the QCG 302 determines that parental
authorization is required for medical treatment of the child, the QCG 302
contacts the consumer 304 in step 464. For example, the QCG 302 may
contact the consumer 304 by telephone, pager, e-mail, or any other method
of communication. The QCG 302 informs the consumer 304 of the
illness/injury. In the present example, the method 450 then moves to step
466, where the consumer 304 signs onto the medical conferencing services
provider via the MSAS 402. Following step 466, the method 450 may
continue through steps 456, 458, 460, and 462 as previously described.

[0076] In some embodiments, the QCG 302 may sign onto the medical
conferencing services provider via the MSAS 402 in step 468 and be
selected by the consumer 304 in step 470 to join in the medical
consultation. Alternatively, the QCG 302 may select the consumer 304 from
a list or may join the medical consultation 462 in other ways (e.g., by
request of the MSP 306).

[0077] During the medical consultation, the MSP 306 may require access to
the child's medical history. Accordingly, in step 472, the consumer 304
may provide an access code to the MSP 306 or directly to the medical
conferencing services provider (e.g., to the MSAS 402) to authorize the
MSP 306 to access the child's medical records. In embodiments where the
access code is provided to the MSAS 402, the MSP 306 may send a message
to the MSAS 402 requesting access to the child's medical records. In
response, the MSAS 402 may prompt the consumer 304 for the access code.
The prompting of the consumer 304 to provide the access code to the MSAS
402 may serve both to inform the consumer 304 that access to the child's
medical records is being sought by the MSP 306 and to provide the
consumer 304 with the ability to verify that the MSP 306 is authorized to
access the child's medical records.

[0078] The access code for the child's medical records may uniquely
identify the medical records to prevent additional records from being
disclosed. Furthermore, the child's medical records may be flagged or
otherwise segmented to allow the consumer 304 to control the release of
only portions of the medical records. In some embodiments, the consumer
304 may be provided with a separate access code for each dependent
associated with the consumer's account with the medical conferencing
services provider. After the consumer 304 provides the access code to the
MSAS 402, the MSAS may send a message to the MSP 306 informing the MSP
306 that access to the child's medical records has been granted or the
MSAS may simply send the medical records (or portions thereof) to the
MSP. In some embodiments, the MSP 306 is provided a copy of a portion of
the child's medical records electronically such that the MSP 306 can
print the portion for closer review.

[0079] During and after the secure multi-party medical conference session,
the MSP 306 may make relevant notes regarding the content of the
consultation, diagnosis, if any, medications or treatments prescribed,
and any courses of action conducted or recommended. The MSP 306 may then
save a copy of the notes to the child's medical records stored on the
database. For example, the MSP 306 may save the notes to the medical
records by retaining a link for "saving" on the MSP terminal.
Additionally, the MSP 306 may save the notes by providing a record
identifier, such as the consumer's user ID or the access code. In this
fashion, the MSP may retain a physical copy of the medical records as
well as update the medical records stored on the database.

[0080] If no medical records are needed, the method 450 may move directly
from step 462 to step 474. In step 474, a determination may be made as to
whether the consultation is over. If not, the method 450 moves to step
476, where the consultation continues. Steps 474 and 476 may be repeated
until the consultation ends in step 478. It is understood that the
consultation may end for one party (e.g., the QCG 302) while continuing
for the other parties (e.g., the consumer 304 and the MSP 306).

[0081] Referring to FIG. 5, one embodiment of a network 500 includes an
MSAS (e.g., the MSAS 402 of FIG. 4) coupled to the packet network 308
(FIG. 3). The MSAS 402 may be used to provide secure medical conferencing
services by a medical conferencing services provider. For purposes of
illustration, a consumer terminal 502 is identical or similar to the
device described previously with respect to the consumer 304 of FIG. 3.
The consumer terminal 502 may be coupled to the medical conferencing
services provider (e.g., to the MSAS 402) via the packet network 308. In
the present example, the network portion supported by the medical
conferencing services provider includes not only the MSAS 402, but also a
medical records database 504 accessible via the packet network 308 and/or
coupled to the MSAS 402 via another connection that does not pass through
the packet network 308. It is understood that the medical records
database 504 may be distributed, combined with the MSAS 402, or otherwise
configured. Furthermore, the medical records database 504 may be under
the control of a third party rather than the medical conferencing
services provider.

[0082] A plurality of MSP terminals 506, each of which is identical or
similar to the device described previously with respect to the MSP 306 of
FIG. 3, may have the ability to couple to the MSAS 402, medical records
database 504, consumer terminal 502, and other MSP terminals 506. Each
connection may be wireless and/or wired, and the consumer terminal 502
and MSP terminals 506 may represent multiple terminals. For example, a
single MSP terminal 506 may represent an office having multiple MSP
terminals 506 located therein. It is understood that each consumer
terminal 502 and MSP terminal 506 may perform log in procedures as
previously described to gain access to services provided by the medical
conferencing services provider via the MSAS 402.

[0083] The medical records database 504 may enable an MSP terminal 506 to
gain access to medical information relating to a consumer (e.g., the
consumer 304 of FIG. 3) if certain conditions, such as access
permissions, are met. As described previously, when the consumer 304
subscribes to the medical conferencing services provider, the consumer
provides information to complete a patient profile. Additionally, the
consumer 304 or another party (e.g., the consumer's physician (MSP 306 of
FIG. 3)) may provide a copy of the consumer's medical records to the
medical conferencing services provider or a third party (e.g., a third
party operating the medical records database 504). Alternatively, the
consumer's medical records may already be in the medical records database
504 and the consumer 304 or the consumer's MSP 306 may simply give
permission to make the records available.

[0084] The consumer's medical records may be provided electronically
(e.g., via an electronic record or filling out an online form) to the
MSAS 402 for storage, may be provided directly to the medical records
database 504, or may be sent (electronically or on a printed medium) to
the medical conferencing services provider. If sent electronically to the
MSAS 402, the MSAS may store the medical records in the medical records
database 504 in a manner that links the medical records to the profile of
the consumer 304. If a physical copy of the medical records is provided,
the medical conferencing services provider may process and scan the
medical records securely and in accordance with applicable regulations
(e.g., HIPAA requirements) and then store an electronic version of the
medical records in the medical records database 504 in a manner that
links the medical records to the profile of the consumer 304. In some
embodiments, the medical conferencing services provider may store
consumer profiles in a first database and consumer medical records in a
second database. In other embodiments, the medical conferencing services
provider may store consumer profiles and consumer medical records in a
single database.

[0085] Referring to FIG. 6a, a block diagram 600 illustrates one
embodiment of the MSAS 402 and medical records database 504 in greater
detail. In the present example, the medical records database 504 stores a
consumer access code 602, consumer medical records 604, and consumer
profile 606. Although not shown, the MSAS 402, medical records database
504, or another storage entity stores profiles of the MSPs 506 and other
profiles, such as profiles associated with QCGs as previously described.
For purposes of illustration, the terms "consumer 304" and "consumer
terminal 502" may be used interchangeably in the present example, as may
the terms "MSP 306" and "MSP terminal 506."

[0086] The access code 602 may be provided by the consumer 304 via the
consumer terminal 502 or to the consumer by, for example, the MSAS 402
during initial registration or at a later time. The access code 602 may
uniquely correspond to the consumer medical records 604. To ensure that
the access code is unique, the MSAS 402 may compare the access code 602
against existing access codes stored in the medical records database 504
corresponding to existing medical records. If the access code 602
supplied by the consumer 304 matches an existing access code stored in
the medical records database 504, the consumer 304 may be prompted to
supply another access code 602. This process may repeated until the
consumer 304 supplies a unique access code 602, i.e., a code that does
not match an existing access code stored in the medical records database
504. Thereafter, the access code 602 supplied by the consumer 304 is
stored in the medical records database 504 such that the access code 602
uniquely corresponds to the medical records 604 of the consumer 304.

[0087] Accordingly, during a medical consultation with the consumer 304,
the MSP 306 may have access to the consumer's medical records 604. In
some embodiments, the MSP 306 may be authorized to access the consumer
medical records 604 only after the consumer 304 grants permission for
that particular access request. For example, when the consumer terminal
502 and a first MSP terminal 506a may establish a secure medical
conference, the consumer 304 may provide the access code 602 to the first
MSP 306a. The access code 602 may authenticate the identity of the
consumer 304 and provide the first MSP 306a access to the consumer
medical records 604. The medical conferencing services provider and
software on the MSP terminal 506 may be configured to provide a link to
the consumer medical records 604 when the first MSP 306a and the consumer
304 establish the secure medical conference. The first MSP 306a may
submit a request to access the consumer medical records 604 by selecting
the link and then providing the access code 602. Additionally, if a
second MSP 306b enters the conference, either the consumer 304 or the
first MSP 306a can provide the access code 602 to the second MSP 306b.
The second MSP 306b can then submit a request to access the consumer
medical records 604 in the same manner as the first MSP 306a.

[0088] In other embodiments, the first MSP 306a may submit a request to
access the consumer medical records 604 to the MSAS 402 and/or medical
records database 504. In response to the request, the MSAS 402 and/or
medical records database 504 may send a message to the consumer 304
notifying the consumer of the access request by the MSP 306a. The message
may prompt the user 304 to provide the access code 602 to the MSAS 402
and/or medical records database 504 in order to give the MSP 306a access
to the medical records 602. Accordingly, the message may both inform the
consumer 304 that access to the consumer's medical records 604 is being
sought by the first MSP 306a and provide the consumer 304 with the
ability to validate that the first MSP 306a is authorized to access the
medical records.

[0089] In still other embodiments, the consumer 304 may provide the MSP
306a with permission to access the consumer's medical records 604 prior
to the conference. For example, the consumer 304 may enter access
permission into the consumer profile 606, and the MSAS 402 and/or medical
records database 504 may check the profile for permission. In such
embodiments, if the profile does not contain access permission for the
MSP 306a, the consumer 304 and/or the MSP 306a may then be prompted for
permission.

[0090] In addition to accessing the medical records 604, the MSP 306 may
modify the medical records to reflect a recent consultation. The modified
medical records 604 may then be stored in the medical records database
502. Modifications to the medical records 604 may include comments
indicating who performed the modifications. For example, the MSP's ID,
date modified, and other information may be stored with the modified
medical records 604 to provide a history of changes to the medical
records.

[0091] It is understood that access to the consumer's medical records 604
may vary depending on system configurations of the medical conferencing
services provider, regulations governing access to medical records, and
similar issues. Accordingly, access to the medical records 604 may be
controlled in different ways and may even vary for different consumers of
the medical conferencing services provider. For example, regulations in
one geographic area may vary from regulations in another geographic area,
and the medical conferencing services provider may account for these
variations in controlling access to the medical records 604 of consumers
304 in those areas. Furthermore, access to medical records 604 may be
tailored by individual consumers based on the preference of those
consumers and/or their MSPs. Accordingly, the medical conferencing
services provider may configure access to medical records 604 in many
different ways.

[0092] Even if the consumer 304 does not have access to the consumer
medical records 604, the consumer 304 may still edit the consumer profile
606. For example, the consumer 304 may access a configuration module (not
shown) on the MSAS 402 to change access rights and/or the access code 602
for the medical records 604. The consumer 304 may grant or revoke
permission for the MSP 306a to access the medical records 604, configure
settings on how the consumer is to be notified if someone requests access
to the medical records, and perform similar access control functions.

[0093] Referring now to FIG. 6b, one embodiment of a device 620 that may
be used by the QCG 302, consumer 304, and/or MSP 306 to connect to the
medical conferencing services provider is illustrated. The device 620 may
be a computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), cellular telephone, or
any other device capable of transmitting, processing, and/or receiving
signals via wireless and/or wireline communication links. The device 620
may include components such as a central processing unit ("CPU") 622, a
memory unit 624, an input/output ("I/O") device 626, and a network
interface 628. The network interface may be, for example, one or more
network interface cards (NICs) that are each associated with a media
access control (MAC) address. The components 622, 624, 626, and 628 are
interconnected by one or more communication links 630 (e.g., a bus). It
is understood that the device 620 may be differently configured and that
each of the listed components may actually represent several different
components. For example, the CPU 622 may actually represent a
multi-processor or a distributed processing system; the memory unit 624
may include different levels of cache memory, main memory, hard disks,
and remote storage locations; and the I/O device 626 may include
monitors, keyboards, otoscopes, stethoscopes, and the like. The network
interface 628 enables the device 620 to connect to a network, such as the
packet network 308 of FIG. 3.

[0094] With additional reference to FIG. 7, a sequence diagram illustrates
one embodiment of a method 700 by which a secure medical conference may
be established between the consumer 304 and MSP 306a of FIG. 6a, and how
the medical records 604 may be obtained by the MSP. In the present
example, the consumer 304 and MSP 306a have registered with the medical
conferencing services provider as described previously. Accordingly, when
the method 700 begins, the consumer 304 and MSP 306a have terminals 502
and 506a, respectively, that are configured to execute software capable
of connecting to the medical conferencing services provider, and each has
established a profile and is authorized to provide and/or consume
services offered via the medical conferencing services provider. One or
both of the consumer 304 and MSP 306a may be an "endpoint" that is a
"buddy" of other endpoints (including each other) in terms of previously
incorporated U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/081,068.

[0095] In step 702, the MSP 306a authenticates with the medical
conferencing services provider by accessing the medical conferencing
services provider via the packet network 308 (FIG. 3). The authentication
process may include the MSP 306 providing the MSP ID and password to the
MSAS 402. As described previously, the MSAS 402 updates the list of
available MSPs with the information of the MSP 306 (not shown in FIG. 7).
In step 704, the MSAS 402 responds to the MSP 306 with such information
as profiles and one or more routing tables. In step 706, the consumer 304
authenticates with the medical conferencing services provider via the
packet network 308 by, for example, sending a sign-on/authentication
request to the MSAS 402 that includes the consumer's ID and password. In
response and after verifying the consumer's authentication information,
the MSAS 402 authenticates the consumer 304 as a valid member of the
medical conferencing services provider and sends profile and routing
table information to the consumer in step 708. In step 710, due to the
point-to-point nature of the system in the present example, the consumer
304 may send a notification message directly to the MSP 306 without
sending it through the MSAS 402.

[0096] In step 712, the consumer 304 requests a consultation with the MSP
306a after, for example, selecting the MSP from a list of available MSPs
as previously described. In step 714, the MSP 306a may accept the
request. If the MSP 306a denies the request, the method 700 may return to
step 712 after the consumer 304 selects another MSP from the list of
available MSPs.

[0097] In step 716, the MSP 306a requests the medical records 604
corresponding to the consumer 304 from the MSAS 402 and, in step 718, the
MSAS verifies that the MSP 306a has permission to access the medical
records. For example, the MSAS 402 may send a message to the consumer 304
as previously described, and/or may check the consumer profile 606 to
determine if the MSP 306a has been given permission by the consumer. Once
access is verified, the MSAS 402 requests the medical records 604 from
the medical records database 504 in step 720, and the medical records
database returns the medical records to the MSAS in step 722. In step
724, the MSAS 402 sends the medical records 604 to the MSP 306a. The
consumer 304 and MSP 306a may then engage in the consultation session in
step 726 with the MSP being able to refer to the consumer's medical
records 604.

[0098] It is understood that the method 700 is only one example of how the
medical records 604 may be accessed by the MSP 306a. Accordingly, many
different variations are possible both with the system (e.g., the MSAS
402 and the medical records database 504 may be combined) and the process
for verifying access permission.

[0099] Referring to FIG. 8, one embodiment of a method 800 illustrates
possible operations of an MSP 306 (e.g., the MSP 306 of FIG. 3). In the
present example, it is understood that the MSP 306 has already registered
with the medical conferencing services provider prior to the beginning of
the method 800. In step 802, the MSP 306 signs on to the medical
conferencing services provider and indicates a time window of
availability for forty-five minutes in step 804.

[0100] For example, an in-office patient may have been scheduled for a
forty-five minute exam but then failed to appear for the exam. Therefore,
the MSP 306 now has forty-five minutes of time available and no patient
waiting in office. Accordingly, the MSP 306 signs on and indicates an
availability of forty-five minutes. In some embodiments, the MSP 306 may
choose to sign-on to the medical conferencing services provider for the
entire day.

[0101] In step 806, the MSP 306 receives a request for a consultation via
the medical conferencing services provider. In step 808, a determination
is made as to whether the MSP 306 has enabled an auto-attendant module.
For example, even though the MSP 306 may be examining in-office patients,
the MSP 306 may enable the auto-attendant module to screen incoming
requests for secure multi-party medical consultations via the medical
conferencing services provider. The MSP profile may include editable
information and settings for the auto-attendant module. For example, the
MSP 306 may enable or disable the auto-attendant module, may record text,
voice, and/or video for playback to a consumer, and otherwise configure
the behavior of the auto-attendant within defined parameters.
Accordingly, the MSP 306 may set the auto-attendant module to auto-answer
mode (i.e., enabled) or do-not-answer mode (i.e., disabled).

[0102] If the auto-attendant is not enabled, the method 800 continues to
step 810, where a determination is made as to whether to accept the
consultation request. If the request is accepted, a secure point-to-point
connection is established in step 812 between the MSP terminal and
consumer terminal as previously described. If the request is rejected, a
message indicating the rejection may be sent to the consumer in step 814.

[0103] If the auto-attendant is enabled as determined in step 808, the
method 800 moves to step 816. In step 816, an automated response process
(e.g., an interactive voice and/or video response process) may be
executed. For example, when enabled for auto-answer mode, the
auto-attendant module may provide an interactive voice and/or video
response module that can query the consumer 304 for some basic
information. The auto-attendant module may obtain the ID of the consumer
304 (e.g., from the request or by querying the consumer) and access the
corresponding consumer profile to retrieve the consumer's name and
demographic information. In some embodiments, the consumer 304 may
configure the consumer profile 606 to provide only specified information
(e.g., the consumer's name) to the auto-attendant module. If desired, the
consumer 304 responds to the auto-attendant module with the scope and
nature of the consultation sought. For example, the consumer 304 may
state that the consumer is traveling and is experiencing flu-like
symptoms. In step 818, the auto-attendant module may display the acquired
information on the MSP 306 terminal, thereby informing the MSP 306 that,
for example, consumer "John Smith is traveling and experiencing flu-like
symptoms." The method 800 then continues to step 810 and proceeds as
previously described.

[0104] Referring to FIG. 9, in another embodiment, a method 900
illustrates that a consumer 304 may access the medical conferencing
services provider via a consumer terminal provided by a QCG franchise.
The QCG franchise may be a stand-alone office with a number of QCGs 302,
such as nurses or medical technicians. The QCG franchise may be a
stationary medical station, such as may exist in an office, hotel,
business, retail location, or airport, or may be a portable medical
station (e.g., in a vehicle) or a medical kiosk. The QCG franchise may
have limited staffing and may be configured so that the consumer 304 can
conduct the secure multi-party medical conference in private. The QCG
franchise includes one or more consumer terminals and one or more QCG
terminals configured to access the medical conferencing services
provider. Although different software may be used on the consumer and QCG
terminal (and on MSP terminals), it is understood that the software
installed on each terminal may be identical and that differences in
access type may be controlled by the medical conferencing services
provider and tied to an individual consumer, QCG, and MSP ID.

[0105] In step 902, the consumer 304 enters a QCG franchise and requests
access to a terminal. Such access may require the consumer 304 to sign in
with the QCG franchise, speak with a QCG or staff member of the
franchise, complete paperwork, or perform other tasks. If the consumer
304 is a subscriber to the medical conferencing services provider, the
consumer 304 may be granted private access to a consumer terminal in the
QCG franchise. The consumer 304 may then access the medical conferencing
services provider using the consumer's ID and password as previously
described. If not a subscriber, the consumer 304 may be required to
become a subscriber or may be represented by a QCG 302 of the franchise.
For example, a QCG 302 may access the medical conferencing services
provider with the consumer 304 using subscriber information associated
with the QCG franchise.

[0106] In step 904, the consumer 304 views a list of available MSPs. In
the present example, the consumer 304 may have a primary care physician
(PCP) and may review the preferred contact list to determine if the PCP
is available. If the PCP is available as determined in step 906, the
consumer 304 may then select the PCP and establish a secure
point-to-point connection with the PCP via the medical conferencing
services provider in step 908. In step 910, if the PCP determines that
measurements or tests are needed (e.g., blood drawn or some other
physical examination performed), a QCG 302 at the QCG franchise may be
summoned in step 912 to assist the PCP in the medical conference.

[0107] In step 914, a determination may be made by the PCP as to whether
the consumer's medical records 604 are needed. If so and the PCP does not
have access as previously described, the consumer 304 may provide the
access code 602 to the PCP in step 916 to grant permission to the PCP.
The PCP may then access the medical records 604 in step 918. In some
embodiments, the consumer 304 may provide the access code 602 directly to
the MSAS 402 or to a QCG 302 of the QCG franchise. In step 920, the
consumer 304 and QCG 302 (if needed) can communicate with the PCP via the
medical conferencing services provider. The PCP may instruct the QCG 302
regarding the treatment of the consumer 304 or may instruct the consumer
304 to seek an MSP 306 for an in-office visit. The PCP may be able to
modify the consumer's medical records 604 and save the modifications to
the medical records database 504 (FIG. 5).

[0108] Returning to step 906, if the PCP is not available or if the
consumer 304 does not have a PCP, the consumer 304 may select an
available MSP 306 in step 922. The method 900 may then continue as
described above.

[0109] In some embodiments, the consumer 304 may provide the consumer's
user ID to a QCG franchise staff member upon entering the QCG franchise.
The QCG staff member may verify that the consumer 304 is a valid
subscriber of the medical conferencing services provider. The consumer
304 may be directed to a room where a QCG 302 performs initial screening
that may include questions regarding symptoms and the taking of
measurements such as temperature, blood pressure, and weight. Thereafter,
the QCG 302 may access the medical conferencing services provider via a
QCG terminal and select an MSP 306 for a secure medical conference. In
some embodiments, the QCG 302 may search for and select a specific MSP
306, such as the consumer's PCP.

[0110] The QCG franchise may be a portable medical station, such as a
vehicle with a mobile QCG terminal, operated by a QCG 302. The portable
medical station may be configured so that it can travel to a consumer's
location to treat the consumer 304. For example, the portable medical
station may be contracted by a hotel, chain of hotels, home health care
agencies, airport, business, or office to provide care as needed by
customers, travelers, and employees. Furthermore, in some embodiments,
the portable medical station may be located in the hotel, airport,
business, or office. For example, the consumer 304 may be staying in a
hotel and may contact the hotel's concierge due to an illness. The hotel
concierge may contact the portable medical station to arrange a medical
consultation for the consumer 304.

[0111] Referring to FIG. 10, in yet another embodiment, a method 1000
illustrates one way in which an MSP 306 may locate and contact a
specialist using the medical conferencing services provider. In step
1002, the MSP 306 may be contacted (e.g., visited in person or via the
medical conferencing services provider or another communication channel)
by the consumer 304, who may or may not be subscribed to the medical
conferencing services provider. The MSP 306 may perform an exam of the
consumer 304 or have the exam performed by a QCG 302. In the present
example, the MSP 306 determines that the opinion of a specialist needed.
In a typical medical setting, the MSP 306 would often issue a referral to
the consumer 304 by recommending a specialist or recommending that the
consumer find their own specialist. The consumer 304 then would schedule
an appointment with the specialist, which would often require that the
consumer 304 take more time from work or other activities to attend the
scheduled appointment. Such a specialist may then require additional
tests to be performed on the consumer 304, which may require the consumer
to go to yet another location that may also require an appointment.
Accordingly, the consumer 304 may be required to use even more of their
time to get the tests performed.

[0112] In contrast to the time-consuming and often frustrating process
described above, in the present embodiment, the MSP 306 accesses a
specialist provided by the medical conferencing services provider in step
1004. The specialist list may be similar to the MSP list or may be a
version of the MSP list sorted by specialty. In some embodiments, the
specialist list includes a duration for which a particular specialist
will be available for consultations. For example, the specialist may have
contracted with the medical conferencing services provider or another
service to be available via the medical conferencing services provider at
specified times. The specialist list may be updated at specified times or
the list may be updated when a specialist signs on or off the medical
conferencing services provider. As described with respect to the MSP list
previously, the specialist list may be downloaded when the MSP 306 logs
on to the MSAS 402. The MSP 306 may access the specialist list while the
consumer is still in the session with the MSP.

[0113] After selecting an available specialist from the specialist list in
step 1006, the MSP 306 may establish a secure point-to-point
communication session with the specialist in step 1008. It is understood
that establishing the channel may include sending a request directly to
the specialist (e.g., without sending the request through the MSAS 402)
and receiving a response directly from the specialist. Once this process
is complete (assuming the specialist agrees to the request), the secure
communication session is established between the MSP 306 and the
specialist. As with previous embodiments, the communication session may
include voice, video, data, or any other type of information and may be
encrypted.

[0114] In step 1010, the medical consultation may occur between the MSP
306 and the specialist. In step 1012, a determination may be made as to
whether the consumer's medical records (e.g., the medical records 604 of
FIG. 6a) are needed by the specialist. In the present example, the MSP
306 already has access to the medical records 604, but it is understood
that this may not be true in some embodiments. If the MSP 1012 does not
have access to the medical records and such access is needed, the MSP may
gain access as described with respect to FIG. 7. In step 1014, if the
medical records 604 are needed by the specialist, the medical records may
be transferred to the specialist (e.g., by the MSP 306) or the specialist
may access the medical records via the MSAS 402. As described previously
with respect to access by the MSP 306, if accessed via the MSAS 402, the
access code may be provided to the specialist by the consumer 304 or MSP
306, and/or the consumer or MSP may be prompted to enter the access code
when notified by the MSAS 402 of the access attempt.

[0115] When the specialist has been granted access, the specialist may
have the ability to view all or a portion of the medical records 604. In
some embodiments, to prevent the specialist from viewing all of the
medical records 604, the consumer 304 or MSP 306 may flag or otherwise
denote portions of the medical records that are to be viewable or not
viewable by the specialist. In such embodiments, the consumer 304 or MSP
306 may create a temporary access code corresponding to the flagged
portions of the medical records 604. In other embodiments, the MSP 306
may access and download some or all of the medical records 604 and send
the downloaded information to the specialist via the secure
communications session provided by the medical conferencing services
provider.

[0116] In step 1016, after transfer of the medical records 604 or directly
from step 1010 if no medical records are transferred, a determination may
be made as to whether one or more tests should be performed on the
consumer 304. For example, the specialist may instruct the MSP 306, QCG
302, or other medical staff or personnel at the location of the consumer
304 to take special measurements of the consumer or look for specific
symptoms. As the consultation may occur in real time with the consumer
304 present with the MSP 306 or QCG 302, the consumer may be available
for testing without requiring additional appointments. Furthermore, as
the MSP 306 and specialist may both discuss the tests with the consumer
304 simultaneously, any issues may be addressed at once rather through
later appointments. If no tests are needed, the consultation may continue
and conclude in step 1018.

[0117] If it is determined in step 1016 that tests are needed, the method
1000 moves to step 1020, where a determination is made as to whether the
MSP 306 or QCG 302 (e.g., medical staff or personnel at the location of
the consumer 304) can conduct the tests. If it is determined that the MSP
306 can conduct the tests, the method 1000 moves to step 1022. In step
1022, the MSP or medical staff at the MSPs location conducts the tests.
If it is determined that the MSP 306 can not conduct the tests, the
method 1000 moves to step 1024, where a third party (e.g., a laboratory
separate from the MSP 306) conducts the tests.

[0118] In step 1026, after the tests are conducted by either the MSP 306
or third party, the results may be stored in the medical records 604 of
the consumer 304. The test results may be stored in the database 504 by
the MSP 306/third party or may be sent (e.g., mailed or electronically
transferred) by the MSP/third party to the medical conferencing services
provider. For example, the third party may be registered with the medical
conferencing services provider as a testing services provider (which may
or may not be an MSP). Accordingly, the third party may be provided
restricted access to the database 504 to store, but not access,
information in the consumer's medical records 604. In such embodiments,
the third party may store the test results in the medical records 604
using the consumer's ID. In other embodiments, the third party is not
provided access to the consumer medical records and may send the test
results to the MSP 306 or specialist, who may then store the test
results. It is understood that the consumer 304 may need to go to the
third party's location for the testing. Furthermore, the test results may
take time to obtain, and so the current consultation may end and another
consultation may be started at a later time to discuss the test results.

[0119] In step 1028, the stored test results may be accessed by the MSP
306 and/or specialist as previously described. The consultation may then
continue and/or conclude in step 1018 with a discussion of the test
results. At the conclusion of the consultation, the MSP 306 and/or
specialist may modify the medical records 604 to reflect the results of
the consultation, including any prescribed medications or other treatment
recommendations.

[0120] In some embodiments, the medical conferencing services provider may
enable the MSP 306, QCG 302, and other parties (e.g., a specialist or
third party tester) to record billing information for the medical
services provided to the consumer 304. In such embodiments, the MSP 306,
QCG 302, or other party may submit a claim for services rendered to the
insurance company of the consumer 304. If the consumer 304 is a not a
subscriber to the medical conferencing services provider (e.g., the
consumer is a walk-in at a QCG franchise), the consumer may be required
to provide the insurance information prior to receiving services. If the
consumer 304 is a member of the medical conferencing services provider,
the consumer's insurance information can be stored in the profile 606. If
the consumer's insurance company is a member of the medical conferencing
services provider, it may then access the billing information stored in
the database 504. The access provided to the insurance company may be
limited to such billing information to prevent the insurance company from
accessing the medical records of the consumer 304.

[0121] In some embodiments, a pharmacy, a franchise of pharmacies, or a
store having a pharmacy therein may register with the medical
conferencing services provider. During registration, the pharmacy may
provide demographic information and a listing of medications that the
pharmacy carries. Once registered, the pharmacy is able to remain
signed-on to the medical conferencing services provider throughout the
regular hours of operation of the pharmacy. In some embodiments, the
consumer 304 is able to use a secure point-to-point communication session
to query a pharmacist at the registered pharmacy via the medical
conferencing services provider regarding the complications or
requirements of a medication that has been prescribed to the consumer.
The pharmacy may also receive electronic prescriptions from MSPs 306 via
the medical conferencing services provider. In some embodiments, the
consumer 304 may use the medical conferencing services provider to
provide payment and insurance information to the pharmacy to facilitate
the purchase of medications. In such embodiments, the pharmacy may
arrange for delivery of the medications to consumer 304 or provide
options for pick-up from the pharmacy.

[0122] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art having the
benefit of this disclosure that the systems and methods described herein
for secure multi-party medical conferencing may be used to provide a
secure connection for the transmission of voice, video, data, or other
information relating to the medical treatment of a patient between two or
more parties. It should be understood that the drawings and detailed
description herein are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a
restrictive manner, and are not intended to be limiting to the particular
forms and examples disclosed. On the contrary, included are any further
modifications, changes, rearrangements, substitutions, alternatives,
design choices, and embodiments apparent to those of ordinary skill in
the art, without departing from the spirit and scope hereof, as defined
by the following claims. For example, steps from various flow charts and
sequence diagrams described above may be combined or further separated.
Thus, it is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace
all such further modifications, changes, rearrangements, substitutions,
alternatives, design choices, and embodiments.